2018 NFL Mock Draft: New York Giants 3-round mock 3.0
By Sean Dyer
Texas. 3. Scouting Report. LB. player. 31. Pick Analysis. Malik Jefferson
The New York Giants have needed to address the linebacker position for years and 2018 seems to be the year it will finally happen.
New general manager Dave Gettleman had two of the best linebackers in the NFL while in Carolina in Luke Kuechly and Thomas Davis, yet he used his first-round pick on Shaq Thompson in 2015. New defensive coordinator James Bettcher’s 3-4 scheme also puts an importance on quality linebacker play. Big Blue will be adding linebackers this offseason.
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I love the idea of Malik Jefferson joining the Giants defense. Jefferson is athletic and can fly around the field. It’s been a while since New York had a linebacker like that.
Jefferson excels in pass coverage which would be a nice change of pace for Giants fans. Big Blue has been incapable of covering tight ends and Jonathan Casillas really struggled in that area in 2017.
The Texas Longhorn is also a promising blitzer, which will be welcomed by Bettcher. While Bettcher was the defensive coordinator in Arizona, the Cardinals blitzed more often than just about everyone.
Where Jefferson struggles is against the run, where he can get overpowered due to his lack of bulk. However, Jon Dove of With the First Pick sees a solution:
"[Jefferson] would benefit from a strong defensive line that occupies blockers. This would allow him to use his speed to freely flow to the football."
The New York Giants have one of the stronger defensive lines in football. With Damon Harrison and Dalvin Tomlinson clogging up the middle, Jefferson could shoot gaps to drop runners in the backfield or use his speed to get to the edge before ball carriers after they are forced outside by Big Blue’s dynamic defensive tackle duo.
Malik Jefferson and the New York Giants are a match made in heaven. Big Blue’s defense will allow Jefferson to play to his strengths while he develops into one of the NFL’s premier linebackers.
Next: New York Giants 3-round mock draft 2.0
There we go! Another 2018 NFL mock draft in the books! What did we think?
As I said, I will switch things up as the offseason progresses. I’ll use different strategies and see how many different three-round combinations I can come up with.
Be on the lookout for my next installment of a New York Giants mock draft next week! But until then, let me know what you thought of this one in the comments below!